Fly reel question

[Dondi12 0]

Dumb question here.

Are all fly reels designed to be left handed crank?

[Steeldrifter 0]

Most are reversible by flipping the one way clutch bearing inside it so they can be L or R hand. There were a few made that were non reversible (like the original Harris Solitude) but these days most will be L/R reversible.

[Philly 0]

I know the last two I brought needed to be switched to left hand retrieve at the fly shop when I brought them. I imagine most brands and models can be set up either way. The only reason mine are set up for left hand retrieve is I learned to fish on a spinning tackle and fished that type of tackle until I switched over to fly fishing. I guess if I had learned to fish with bait casting tackle and fished that for forty years I'd have my fly reels set up for right hand retrieve.

It's one of the great debates of fly fishing. Does the proper fly fisher reel with the left or right hand? Whatever you're most comfortable with.

[FlaFly 0]

Probably ought to bring up the fact that not everyone retrieves by cranking the reel.... a lot of us retrieve the line by hand. It seems like to me that guys/gals that fish saltwater, and those that go after big fish like pikes tend to crank, and need a good drag to boot. Anyhow, if you're a bluegill chaser like me, you might be a hand retriever. I only use the crank when I'm through and want to store the line on the reel till next trip. To me, it's immaterial which side I crank on.

[Dondi12 0]

FlaFly, thanks for the reminder. I supposed I should have been more specific. I hand reel the fish but when gathering the line in my crank is on the left side. I am a left handed caster and prefer to crank on the right side. All my spinning reels I've switched over to right hand. I did not know fly reels were reversible. I'll see if I can figure out how to switch them over.

[Gene L 0]

Right hand crank for me. All the old reels were RH, and I got used to it. Started off with Pfleuger reels, graduated but my orginal tastes were set. I generally play a heavy fish by hand (not that I catch many heavy fish) until I get him on the reel and then go for it. I can reel faster RH than I can left.

 

But to the original OP....I don't know now, suspect LH retrieve. Times change.

[ditz2 0]

Gene is absolutely correct. Most all fly reels used to be designed for right hand retrieve. Spinning reels all used to be left hand wind. I started with the old cheap bait casting reels that were all right hand retrieve and needed a 3oz sinker to make more than a 15' cast. Spinning was a far more natural set up, at least for me so I spent years with left hand wind. When I went to fly tackle left hand retrieve was just the natural way of things. Cast right, wind left so no hand changing is required. I did finally go back to good bait casters but just never liked right hand wind though companies did start offering good baitcasters in both right and left hand wind. I guess it mostly depends on whether one is right or left handed or what ever one started fishing with. All that aside, most reels of all types are today either changeable or actually manufactured in many models in both hands of winding preference. Todays offerings are wonderful and there is something available for everyone.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

These days I'd say a slight majority of my anglers prefer left handed retrieve - that wasn't the case years ago..... Much more important than left hand/right hand is the topic of weak hand/strong hand for reeling -particularly if you're going to be working a big fish for a long time. Your strong or dominant hand is much more able to do that (absent a particular preference since all of us are more comfortable keeping with what we've learned starting out....). Among the older high end reels you can count Fin Nor and Billy Pate among the non-interchangeable reels (unless you have the parts to change them out) I'm sure there are others. Even if your reel is easily changed from one side to the other you'll still have to remove and reverse all that line and backing so it's not something you'd want to do out on the water....

 

 

On my skiff most of the fly reels are set up for right hand drive -but I do keep a second reel for my 9wt that winds left handed and it does get a lot more use than the right handed 9wt....

[Adam Saarinen 0]

FlaFly! I'm stripping everything buy hand no mater what kind of fly fishing, always a hand retreive, no meaning to put all that line on a reel to take it all off again! Even when any fish is on it's hand retrieve to a manage lenght to keep the fish controlled on barbless hooks then reel all that line on the reel with my left hand, no need for metres of line everywhere when your landing a fish! Line management of your running line on a doublehand rod with a shooting head is the most valuable thing someone should know! Helps for huge Scandinavian style casts on a double hand rod!

[Philly 0]

Most of the time I strip in the fish. It's only when I get a larger fish on that I reel in the line and fight it off the reel. As far as the weak hand/strong hand argument goes. I'm right handed, but I spent 40 years casting with my right hand and reeling with my left hand. To me using my right hand to reel in a large fish is a PITA. I learned that when my buddy and I were doing a lot of inshore and offshore trolling, as his boats got bigger every couple of years we moved further off shore and the fish seemed to get bigger and harder for me to reel in. The other thing about casting right handed and reeling right handed is I'd have to to switch the rod to my left hand to fight, and that's pushing the limits of my coordination.

[Stevester 0]

Gene L, You could have switched the Pflueger to left hand. If I remember correctly you you just reverse the disc that the ratchet catches and switch the pawls. I started spinning but added fly fishing soon after so left hand retrieve is something I always preferred when available. I never really bought in to the "right hand is better for reeling" argument. I have landed enough salmon and steelhead to know that you can reel pretty well with your non-dominant hand.

 

Steve

[SilverCreek 0]

These days I'd say a slight majority of my anglers prefer left handed retrieve - that wasn't the case years ago..... Much more important than left hand/right hand is the topic of weak hand/strong hand for reeling -particularly if you're going to be working a big fish for a long time. Your strong or dominant hand is much more able to do that (absent a particular preference since all of us are more comfortable keeping with what we've learned starting out....). Among the older high end reels you can count Fin Nor and Billy Pate among the non-interchangeable reels (unless you have the parts to change them out) I'm sure there are others. Even if your reel is easily changed from one side to the other you'll still have to remove and reverse all that line and backing so it's not something you'd want to do out on the water....

 

 

On my skiff most of the fly reels are set up for right hand drive -but I do keep a second reel for my 9wt that winds left handed and it does get a lot more use than the right handed 9wt....

 

I think most salt water fly fishers use the dominant hand for winding. I believe this is due to Lefty Kreh, Flip Pallot, and other prominent salt water fly fishers advocating for the dominant hand winding as faster. If salt water fly reels were multipliers, there would be no reason to wind with the dominant hand, but with a 1:1 retrieve, the faster dominant hand has an advantage.

 

Most fresh water fly fishers wind with the non casting hand. The advantage of this is that there is no reason to switch the rod hand after the cast, when a fish may take the fly at the moment the fly lands. A fresh water fly fisher is constantly casting especially when fishing moving water so switching hands to wind is a disadvantage. Furthermore, a lot of freshwater fly fishers are former spin fishers who are used to winding with the non casting hand so the transition to winding with the non casting hand for fly fishing makes perfect sense.

 

I have several Seamaster salt water fly reels and they also are non-convertible. They are left hand wind and I am a right hander. The theory is if one fishes salt water very rarely it is better to NOT trade winding hands because of the chances of messing up at a crucial time. When under stress is better to rely on muscle memory and not have to remember to switch hands. I do accept that I can wind faster with my right hand but I will give up that advantage to be able to rely on muscle memory and the natural instinct of fishing the fish with my right hand and winding with my left hand. For salt water fly fishers who rarely fish fresh water, I think they should not switch either when fishing rivers. Just keep doing what comes naturally.

[ditz2 0]

I am an old dog and I also prefer to left hand wind though I am right handed. I don't buy the strong hand argument either. It makes more sense to me personally to control the fish and rod with the strong hand. As Capt. Bob mentioned the Billy Pate fly reels are not interchangeable. When I went looking to buy a good salt fly reel the Pate came highly recommended and after learning that they were righty only I discounted their purchase. I also heard that the parts change over to left wind were expensive and difficult to obtain so I changed my direction. The only right hand wind reel I own are baitcasters and I acquired them before lefties were available.

[mikechell 0]

I reel in a spin caster with my left hand.

I reel in a bait caster with my right hand.

I handle the line on my fly rod with my left hand ... I also reel in the line when I am done fishing with my left hand.

In all types of fishing, I cast with my right hand.

[flytire 0]

I think fly reels are set at the factory to be a right hand retrieve and can be set to left hand retrieve by the user

 

I cast right handed and reel with my left

 

set up your reel to your own preferences

 

no right or wrong